Just to follow up on Gail's post.

The Eyed Elater, Alaus oculatus (Linnaeus), is in the family Elateridae, 
hence the common name.  It is the largest click beetle in eastern North 
America, and one of the most attractive, as most are dull brown or black 
without any distinctive pattern and much smaller in size.  It is not rare, 
but is mostly nocturnal so they are not encountered very often by the 
casual observer.  The larvae live in rotting wood and are apparently 
predators, although most smaller members of the family are scavengers or 
phytophagous as larvae.  Adults can sometimes be found under bark of dead 
trees.  Here is a URL to a nice website about Alaus (there is actually more 
than one species, but A. oculatus is the most strikingly colored and most 
commonly encountered).

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN242

Norm Woodley (entomologist)
North Potomac, MD